Clean Elections tweaking

Tax time and legislative review of the state’s Clean Election laws come together this spring, with lawmakers seemingly content to avoid major revisions in the new law. That’s for the best. Voters and candidates learned last year that while the public-financing system may need some improvement, it worked well overall and doesn’t need to be reinvented.

The taxpaying public can reinforce this message on state tax forms by checking the box that sends $3 to the Clean Election Fund. The money comes out of taxes that would be paid anyway and is not in addition to those taxes, making it a no-cost but needed expression of support for the election-financing system. The $3 contribution helps pay for candidates to run for election without having to spend most of their time looking for funding rather than listening to the concerns of people in their districts. After just one election season, this approach seems to be working reasonably well, with candidates expressing relief that they do not have to keep calling on neighbors or special interests for money and members of the public happy that candidates have more time for issues.

Checking off the $3 box on the state tax is one way to tell the Legislature that there is plenty of support for Clean Elections. Making sure lawmakers go easy on reform of the system is another. The best improvement that can be made would expand disclosure laws, ensuring that independent electioneering is covered and that matching money is available to candidates who have to contend with negative ads from third-parties.

Another proposed sensible change would provide more money to candidates who are unopposed. Currently they get a token amount, but if these candidates are going to tell voters why they should go to the polls at all they a small amount of funding to get the vote out. And a change that would push back the beginning time from January 1 to mid-December for gathering signatures needed to qualify for public funding also makes sense. With the legislative session starting in early January, some incumbents may not get the chance to obtain signatures in time.

These are, largely, housekeeping measures. When lawmakers take the several ideas presented on Clean Elections and assemble them into a single bill, they might keep in mind that this is all that’s needed on a law that had a strong start last year and could become a permanent success for Maine.